DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 August) – Enrollment at the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin) has faced delays after its Computerized Student Records System (CSRS) was taken offline on Monday due to an unauthorized post on the website claiming that the school’s database on its students and faculty has been compromised.
According to a report from the University Public Relations Office, the incident happened on August 11, the first day of enrollment, affecting mostly incoming first and second year students.
In an interview Wednesday, PR Officer Rene A. Estremera said the Information and Technology Office (ITO) responded by immediately taking down CSRS and other university websites to ensure data security.
He also noted that any information from the ITO had already been posted in an advisory a day after the incident.
On Tuesday, however, the Office of the Chancellor said in an email that UPMin websites were restored online but are only accessible on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Several students said the glitches in the website have barred them from completing the enrollment process. OZ de Castro, an incoming senior, said he could not add courses to his CSRS.
Others, like Ejay Marc Abrera, an incoming sophomore, said in an interview with MindaNews on Wednesday that he and other members of his batch were unsure if they could still enroll, citing that it wasn’t their schedule yet.
As a result, students are now completing their enrollment process manually as errors in the system persist.
Meanwhile, Himati, the University’s official publication, was asked by the Office of the Chancellor to explain why it posted on its Facebook page screenshots of the hacked CSRS and the ITO’s announcement of the system’s temporary downtime.
The letter from the Office of the Chancellor said the post was a “serious violation of responsible journalism” that has compromised the university’s security.
Himati responded that there was no breach of privacy in their post and that its only purpose was to swiftly inform the community.
“The screenshot in our report showed only the publicly accessible CSRS login page, which contained no personal or confidential information. As such, it did not constitute a breach of privacy under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173).”
The Office of the University Registrar has issued an advisory that the free-for-all enrollment is extended until August 22. (Erl Jewish Durango/MindaNews)
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